Monthly Archives: June 2012

50mm Binocular Objective Finder Howto

My second right-angle finder based on a binocular objective is now built (if not yet cosmetically finished) and this time I’ve taken photos so I can now document the construction process. My aim was to make a functioning right-angle finder … Continue reading

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Revisiting Naked Eye Limiting Magnitude

Back in March I tried checking stars in Usra Major to get an idea of the naked eye limiting magnitude (NELM) for my home. The seeing wasn’t great that night, but I obtained a figure of 5.55 for NELM. Earlier … Continue reading

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Xbox Live Camera Base Removal

If you’re modding the Xbox Live camera for astro imaging then the base is just one more thing to get in the way. Here’s how to remove it. I’ll assume you’ve already got the front shell off to start with. … Continue reading

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Fan-Cooled Xbox Live Camera Howto

I modded a second Xbox Live camera to add a fan today and this time took photos, so here’s how it’s done. This one is slightly different from the first in that I’ve not chopped down the lens housing to … Continue reading

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It’s mid-summer, so where’s the Sun?

Someone was asking today why the sky is so bright at night at this time of year, so I had to have a think about where the Sun actually goes… So we’re clear what I’m talking about, let’s say you’re … Continue reading

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Observation Report, 19th June 2012

Well, it’s been a full month since I last got out with a telescope thanks to the weather, which has been on the wrong side of depressingly atrocious for all of the last four weeks. Despite feeling fairly tired therefore, … Continue reading

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May 2012 FIT Payment

At the end of May we received our second FIT payment, somewhat less than the first as expected. It does mean however that about 4.3% of the installation cost is now covered. Unfortunately the late Spring and early Summer months … Continue reading

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Solar PV Generation Update, June 2012

Well, another awful month weather-wise and they say there’s more to come 🙁 Generation for May was, oddly, exactly the same as for April at 395kWh. I was hoping for anything between 500kWh and 650kWh. You’d think all of those … Continue reading

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Solar PV Generation Update, May 2012

Well, for the first time since installation we’ve had a poorer-than-expected month. No great surprises there, given how utterly awful the weather has been. Output for April came it at a measly 395kWh when based on past performance I was … Continue reading

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Solar PV Generation Update, April 2012

Somewhat delayed, this, as I’d lost the piece of paper that I wrote the reading down on. Doh! Anyhow, output for March was 383kWh, another good month thanks to the unusually good weather. That takes our generation total since installation … Continue reading

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